The Effects of Stress on Your Body, Mood & Behaviour!

The last few decades have seen a sharp increase in the level of stresses that we are facing on a day to day basis, with job demands increasing; work/life balance challenging to manage and; an overall decline in health and wellness impacting our everyday levels of productivity!

It’s not hard to see why so many more people are suffering from the effects of stress.

The impact of this on your body, mood and behaviour can be overwhelming

Effects on your body/health:

Headaches

Muscle tension or pain

Chest pain

Fatigue

Reduced sex drive

Upset stomach

Sleeplessness / insomnia

Heart attack

Stroke

Effects on your mood:

Being over anxious

Restlessness

Lack of motivation or focus

Feeling overwhelmed

Irritability or anger

Sadness or depression

Effects on your behaviour:

Overeating or undereating

Anger or disruptive behaviour

Drug or alcohol abuse

Smoking excessively

Withdrawing from social activities

Reduction in exercise

Understanding the signs of stress and anxiety and taking steps to manage how you feel will benefit your health hugely. Techniques such as:

Regularly focusing on relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, meditation, yoga, tai chi or getting a massage will help to re-align your mood and your behaviour and focus more positively.

Maintaining your sense of humour, socialising with family and friends and setting aside time for your hobbies, including reading books and listening to music, helps you to focus on having fun and making time for yourself so that you don’t get overwhelmed with work or other stresses that may occur.

Finding ways to manage your stress on a regular basis and taking time out to look after yourself are crucial to ensuring that stress doesn’t get out of control and cause an ongoing negative effect on your body or your health.

The old remedies are always the best. So, getting plenty of sleep, eating a healthy balanced diet, a good deal of exercise, massage and avoiding those vices that you know are not good for you such as smoking, drinking too much caffeine or alcohol and using illegal substances, will help to reduce your stress levels and the potential of any worse effects!